Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB)
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Jesteśmy z UW – wspomnienia wietnamskich absolwentów
No full textA collection of memories of Vietnamese graduates of the University of Warsaw, associated in the Vietnamese Alumni of the University of Warsaw Club in Hanoi, who studied at our University in the 1960s and 1970s, in the shadow of the Vietnam War. Poland and the University of Warsaw were then their second home. The memories are devoted to both studies at individual faculties of the University of Warsaw and everyday life in Poland. The authors of the texts are currently living not only in Vietnam, but also in Poland and many countries all over the world. They appreciate the period of their studies and think with emotion about their lecturers and fellow students. The presented publication is an extraordinary testimony of pride in studying at the University of Warsaw and nostalgia for the times of youth.PublishedZbiór wspomnień wietnamskich absolwentów Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, zrzeszonych w Kole Wietnamskich Absolwentów UW w Hanoi, którzy studiowali na naszej Uczelni w latach 60. i 70. XX wieku, w cieniu wojny w Wietnamie. Polska i Uniwersytet Warszawski były wówczas ich drugim domem. Wspomnienia są poświęcone zarówno studiom na poszczególnych wydziałach UW, jak i codziennemu życiu w Polsce. Autorzy tekstów mieszkają obecnie nie tylko w Wietnamie, lecz także w Polsce oraz w wielu innych krajach całego świata. Doceniają okres studiów, ze wzruszeniem myślą o swoich wykładowcach i kolegach. Prezentowana publikacja to niezwykłe świadectwo dumy ze studiowania na Uniwersytecie Warszawskim i nostalgii za czasami młodości
EDUCATIONAL POLICY AND REFORMS: THE IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION
No full textThe collective monograph "Educational policy and reforms: the impact of globalization" brings together five perspectives on the transformations shaping education in the 21st century and addresses one of the most pressing questions of our time: how education systems respond to the multiple, often contradictory pressures generated by globalization. The book is guided by the conviction that globalization is not an abstract force operating outside education; it is a condition within which all educational actors now make decisions, negotiate reforms, and redefine priorities. This condition is economic and political, but also technological, cultural, and profoundly human. The combination of conceptual reflection, empirical investigation, and practical recommendations enriches the volume with a multi-layered analysis of how global dynamics are translated into national strategies, institutional governance, and the lived experiences of teachers, students, and academic staff. The novelty of the monograph lies in its integrative perspective. Whereas much existing research on globalization in education isolates technological innovation, policy frameworks, or institutional reform as separate areas of inquiry, this book deliberately brings them together. Five chapters examine artificial intelligence and digital pedagogy, reform trajectories in post-socialist systems, philosophical reflections on human dignity, personnel management through the lens of the economics of happiness, and the development of academic staff under institutional autonomy. The contributions are not parallel accounts. They stand out as interconnected analyses that collectively argue that educational reform in a globalized era can succeed only when it combines innovation with humanism, structural change with capacity-building, and autonomy with responsibility.
Ukraine is positioned as the central case study, not simply for contextual reasons but because it exemplifies the convergence of global and local challenges. Ukrainian higher education is undergoing post-socialist transformation, alignment with European Higher Education Area frameworks, and digital acceleration, all under the extraordinary pressures of war and resource scarcity. These overlapping dynamics make Ukraine a telling example of how education systems adapt, resist, and innovate under globalization. The lessons drawn here extend beyond national borders: the structural gaps, adaptive strategies, and normative commitments discussed in this book resonate with educational systems in transition worldwide. The first chapter examines artificial intelligence, Education 4.0, and digital transformation as drivers of pedagogical change. It documents the opportunities of adaptive technologies for personalization, simulation-based training, and flexible learning pathways, while highlighting gaps in digital competence and systemic readiness. The authors argue that Ukraine risks marginalization in the global knowledge economy unless AI literacy is embedded in teacher education and supported by national strategies for ethical governance. Importantly, the chapter situates these challenges within wider international debates, noting that concerns over transparency, bias, and equity are shared globally. The implication is clear: AI is not a panacea, but when critically integrated, it can extend the possibilities of effective pedagogy rather than replace them.
The second chapter analyzes reform trajectories in post-socialist and transitional contexts. It reveals a recurrent pattern: structural alignment with European frameworks such as the Bologna Process is often achieved quickly, but substantive changes in transparency, student-centered learning, and institutional accountability lag behind. The gap between adoption and implementation is explained by bureaucratic inertia, governance fragility, and limited resources. The authors advocate for reform strategies that are incremental yet cumulative, context-sensitive rather than imitative, and evaluated by changes in practice rather than formal compliance. This chapter contributes to comparative education by showing that convergence is not linear but contingent, and that meaningful reform depends on balancing global standards with local capacities. The third chapter brings philosophical and anthropological insights to bear on the question of who the subject of education is in a globalized, post-truth world. It critiques the instrumental reduction of education to economic outcomes and performance metrics, warning that this neglects the humanistic mission of cultivating dignity, responsibility, and freedom. Without such grounding, reforms risk producing technically skilled but existentially disoriented graduates. The chapter highlights the need for pedagogical practices that cultivate judgment, ethical agency, and meaning-making. In doing so, it adds a crucial normative dimension to the volume: that education must remain committed to forming persons, not merely producing human capital. The fourth chapter examines institutional life through the lens of the economics of happiness. Drawing on empirical data from Ukrainian universities as well as comparative indices, it highlights a paradox where academic staff remain deeply committed to their roles, yet systemic stressors such as work overload, financial precarity, and psychological strain undermine well-being and, ultimately, institutional resilience. The authors identify the absence of systematic attention to happiness as a critical gap in governance and propose concrete measures including participatory management, recognition systems, and flexible organizational cultures. Their conclusion is striking, highlighting that universities which treat staff well-being as a strategic resource are better positioned to innovate, compete globally, and sustain excellence.
The fifth chapter anchors the book in large-scale empirical research. Based on a survey of 243 academic staff across 11 universities, it investigates the development of scientific and pedagogical potential under institutional autonomy. Respondents emphasized the need to reduce workloads, elevate the prestige of scholarly work, strengthen research infrastructure, and expand international collaborations. The chapter uncovers a paradox under which although autonomy formally grants universities flexibility, in practice it often remains underutilized due to financial limitations and managerial inertia. The authors argue that staff development must be redefined as a strategic priority, supported by professional development centers, transparent evaluation systems, and stronger mechanisms for research participation. Institutional autonomy, they conclude, must be matched by vision and resources to realize its promise.
Across these chapters, several cross-cutting themes emerge. First, globalization generates pressures to adopt frameworks and technologies quickly, but translation into sustainable practice is slow and uneven. Second, capacity-building (digital, managerial, and ethical) is the missing link that often separates formal compliance from real transformation. Third, reforms cannot succeed without attention to the human dimension: dignity, responsibility, and well-being are not optional but central to educational success. Finally, the Ukrainian case demonstrates that contexts of disruption and transition are not peripheral but central to understanding globalization in education, because they expose both the fragility and the adaptive capacities of systems under pressure.
The implications are significant. For policymakers, the book provides guidance on designing reforms that are globally informed but locally grounded, avoiding uncritical importation of models while aligning with international standards. For universities, it offers strategies for staff development, institutional resilience, and the effective use of autonomy. For scholars, it contributes to comparative education by presenting Ukraine as a case of global relevance. For practitioners, it offers conceptual tools and practical strategies to navigate technological change, reform fatigue, and humanistic challenges in their daily work.
The monograph's contribution is thus both scholarly and practical. It enriches international literature by integrating technological, policy, philosophical, and managerial analyses into a single framework, while also providing concrete recommendations for institutions and decision-makers. It demonstrates that education reform in a globalized era cannot be reduced to technical adjustment. It requires investment in people, alignment between global frameworks and local realities, and commitment to humanistic values. Ukraine's experience within broader debates takes the book to offer insights for any system grappling with the promises and risks of globalization.
In sum, "Educational policy and reforms: the impact of globalization" affirms that globalization is not simply a pressure to be endured. It is an opportunity to reimagine education in ways that are innovative, resilient, and human-centered. Its originality lies in weaving together empirical evidence, conceptual clarity, and normative reflection into a coherent narrative about the future of education. Its significance lies in the conviction that while contexts differ, the search for reforms that preserve dignity, build capacity, and embrace innovation is a shared global task.Publishe
Chapter 2 Ascriptivism, life forms, and recognition. On the social constitution of normativity
No full textThis volume explores the importance of constitutivism for legal studies. Constitutivism is the view that the normative force, or authority, of practical reasons is grounded in principles, capacities, aims, or functions that are essential to, and thus constitutive of, agency. While the implications that the constitutivist approach has on the fundamental metaethical disputes and central ethical debates have been extensively explored, the literature on the relations between constitutivism and law remains scarce, unsystematic, and sporadic. This collection brings together world-renowned practical philosophers and legal theorists to fill a noticeable gap in the literature. The authors systematically and innovatively address key dimensions of the relationships between constitutivism and the theoretical study of law, as well as programmatically offering novel insights into the conceptual connections between constitutivist claims, fundamental legal concepts and practices, legal issues, and, ultimately, the law as a distinctive concept. The book will be of interest to academics and researchers working in the areas of Legal Philosophy, Legal Theory, Jurisprudence, Moral Philosophy and Metaethics
Venture Builders and the Creation of Scaleups
No full textThis open access book explores the potential of venture-builders, which is a groundbreaking model for creating startups from scratch. Unlike traditional accelerators or incubators, venture-builders leverage structured processes and expert guidance to mitigate risks and accelerate startups toward scalable growth. Providing a novel classification of venture-building models, the authors evaluate their effectiveness in fostering scaleups—high-growth firms crucial for economic development and innovation. Drawing from a unique dataset of interviews with European venture-builders, the authors go on to reveal key design archetypes and their impact on entrepreneurial ecosystems. It connects venture-building with startup scaling, addressing critical factors like access to resources, funding, and de-risking. By linking practice with research, it offers actionable insights for policymakers, academics, and practitioners. Whether you are a manager in a venture-builder, a policymaker aiming to stimulate growth, or a researcher studying entrepreneurship, this book will illuminate how venture-builders can unlock new opportunities in high-growth entrepreneurship
Le parole del potere. Il lessico delle istituzioni nelle cronache cittadine veneziane del Trecento
No full textIn Venice, during the 14th century, historical narrative found its primary form of expression in town chronicles, while the political and institutional structure stabilized into what became known as the "Stato Patrizio". Starting with the Estoires de Venise by Martin da Canal and the works of the doge and chronicler Andrea Dandolo (1306–1354), this historiographical genre became widely disseminated within Venetian society of the time through a variety of distinct and unique works. The history of the city is, moreover, the history of its institutions: the connection between these two domains thus emerges as the most suitable object for studying the development and systematization of the lexicon of Venetian power and institutions. This book aims to analyze this semantic field, taking into account the textual, linguistic, and thematic dynamics of town chronicles, and it provides an annotated glossary of a hundred significant terms found across the chronicles written in the three linguistic varieties used in institutional and cultural contexts in Venice at the time (Latin, Venetian, and Old French).PublishedA Venezia, durante il Trecento, il racconto storico trova la sua principale forma di espressione nella cronachistica cittadina mentre l’assetto politico-istituzionale della città si consolida nel cosiddetto «Stato Patrizio». A partire dalle Estoires de Venise di Martin da Canal e dalla produzione del doge-cronista Andrea Dandolo (1306-1354), questo genere storiografico si diffonde largamente nella società veneziana dell’epoca in una serie di opere differenti e peculiari. La storia della città è oltretutto la storia delle sue istituzioni: il legame tra questi due ambiti si rivela dunque il più consono per studiare lo sviluppo e la sistematizzazione del lessico del potere e delle istituzioni veneziane. Alla luce delle dinamiche testuali, linguistiche e contenutistiche della cronachistica cittadina, questo libro si propone così di studiare tale campo semantico fornendo anche un glossario ragionato di una centuria di voci significative attestate nelle cronache redatte nelle tre varietà linguistiche d’uso in ambito istituzionale e culturale nella Venezia dell’epoca (latino, veneziano e antico francese)
Emerging Pollutants in the Environment
No full textEmerging pollutants and contaminants refer to chemicals that are not currently regulated, but present ecological or human health concerns, including, but not limited to, endocrine-disrupting compounds, pharmaceutical and personal care products, disinfection by-products, microplastics, persistent organic chemicals, etc., as well as their degradation products being found in air, water, soil, and food sources. This reprint details the most recent advancements that facilitate an understanding of the occurrence, distribution, and fate of emerging pollutants in the environment; risk assessments of emerging contaminants; as well as research exploring technology that exploits methods to reduce and control their environmental presence and adverse effects
Crealectics as a Creative Method
No full textThis open access book introduces crealectics, a new creative methodology that bridges philosophical depth with practical innovation. Drawing on Leibniz's concept of compossibility – the idea that not everything possible can coexist in the same world –the author develops a five-phase approach to holistic innovation: resetting, crealing, profusing, compossibilizing, and realizing. Tested through real-world applications including case studies with Vattenfall R&D, the crealectic method offers an alternative to purely analytical or dialectical approaches to innovation, what the author calls “inner-novation." The book presents the C.I.P.H.E.R. model (Crealectic Intelligence and Philosophical Health for Eudynamic Realities), demonstrating how individual transformation and collective innovation can work together to create "the best of compossible worlds." This interdisciplinary work contributes to possibility studies, sustainability thinking, and innovation methodology, offering practical tools for academics, practitioners, and students seeking approaches to creative problem-solving that honor both diversity and coherence
Geschlecht als Gegenstand
No full textWas hat Geschlecht mit Technik zu tun? Anhand von Objekten aus den Sammlungen des Technischen Museums Wien zeigt Sophie Gerber, welche Potentiale und Möglichkeiten sich durch die Beschäftigung mit Geschlecht in der Museumsarbeit ergeben. Ausgangspunkt sind dabei Objekte der technisch wie geschlechtlich geprägten Alltagskultur, wie z.B. ein Rasierapparat oder ein Klavier, die hinsichtlich ihrer Geschlechterdimension untersucht werden. Das Ziel besteht einerseits darin, Objekte als Quellen und epistemische Gegenstände für die Museums- und Genderforschung nutzbar zu machen. Andererseits eröffnen sich dadurch neue Wege, wie diese Erkenntnisse in die praktische Museumsarbeit einfließen können. Die Analyse gibt entlang dieser Praxis Impulse für die genderinformierte Arbeit mit technischen Museumsobjekten
Zur Kausalität zwischen psychosozialen Belastungen am Arbeitsplatz und Erkrankungen
No full textWhether an illness is recognized as an occupational disease depends largely on proving its occupational causation. Although it is well established that workplace stress is widespread and a frequently reported phenomenon, illnesses triggered by it are rarely recognized as occupational diseases in the practice of accident insurance law. Assessing causation requires linking epidemiological findings with the specific circumstances of the individual case. This interdisciplinary study demonstrates how epidemiological insights can be more effectively integrated into the assessment of occupational diseases in the future. The analysis under accident insurance law is complemented by a discussion of the relevant employment law disputes
Forschen und Forschung in Kontexten des Alter(n)s
No full textForschung in Kontexten des Alter(n)s gewinnt sowohl für als auch durch die Soziale Arbeit zunehmend an Bedeutung. Der Sammelband greift diese bisher wenig beachtete Verbindung auf. In einem ersten Teil stellt der Sammelband Erkenntnisse zum Forschen und zum Forschungsprozess dar. Der zweite Teil bündelt Ergebnisse empirischer Studien zu professions-, adressat:innen- und organisationsbezogenen Fragen. Die Autor:innen diskutieren Ausblicke und Konsequenzen für die Soziale Arbeit als Wissenschaft, Praxis und Ausbildung.; The research fields concerned with age and ageing are becoming increasingly important in social work. How can and should social work respond to them? In the first part, the edited volume presents the research process and existing research. The second part compiles empirical studies on professional, target group and organisational issues. The authors discuss prospects and consequences for social work as science, practice and training